1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an overhead infrastructure for commercial interiors (i.e. commercial, industrial, residential and office environments) requiring power and cable access and, more particularly, to a rail system which permits electrical and mechanical interconnections (and reconfiguration of electrical and mechanical interconnections) of various functional accessories, and communications (including reconfiguration of controlled/controlling relationships) among the accessories.
2. Background Art
Building infrastructure continue to evolve in today's commercial, industrial and office environments. For purposes of description in this specification, the term “commercial interiors” shall be used to collectively designate commercial, industrial, residential and office environments. Historically, and particularly beginning with the industrial revolution, infrastructure often consisted of large rooms with fixed walls and doors. Commercial interiors would often include large and heavy desks, work tables, machinery, assembly lines or the like, depending upon the particular environment. Lighting, heating and cooling (if any) functions were often centrally controlled. With the exception of executive offices, privacy for face-to-face or telephone conversations, meetings or other commercial interior activities was difficult to achieve. Of course, until the past several decades, and with the exception of telephones and typewriters, there was no need to configure infrastructures or furniture to facilitate usage of other office equipment, such as computers, copying and facsimile machines. In general, occupants of such commercial interiors had no significant control over their environments. Also, given the use of stationary walls and heavy office and industrial equipment, any reconfiguration of a commercial interior was a significant undertaking.
During the middle of the twentieth century, commercial interiors began to acquire somewhat of a more “sophisticated” design, particularly with respect to office environments. In part, this was caused by office “automation” with the advent of electronic copying machines, teletypes, electric typewriters and the like. The office “layout” needed to take into account greater needs for electrical power and configurations for supplying power to appropriate locations. Also, “shared” equipment, such as copy machines and teletypes, required consideration of centralized locations (and “common space”) and high voltage power supply. During this time, thought was also given to environmental concerns in commercial interiors, such as appropriate air ventilation. Although building owners and tenants began to concern themselves with the foregoing, commercial interiors still typically involved very heavy and relatively “stationary” furniture. Also, partitions in the form of load bearing and non-load-bearing walls still formed the divisions among spacial areas. Lighting, heating and the early forms of air conditioning also continued to be controlled through central (and often remote) locations.
The next advance in building infrastructure and commercial interiors began in the 1960's. Several furniture makers (including the assignee of this invention) began work on “modular” systems. These systems presented an advance in commercial interior design. Instead of providing row upon row of individual and bulky desks within a completely open area, partitions were provided to achieve at least a minimum level of individual privacy, and to define an individual's “workspace.” Some of the partitions were designed to provide embedded electrical power (interconnected to the building's common power supplies) conveniently located, at an occupant's workspace. Common hanging and supporting bracket structures were developed to provide convenient means for interconnecting furniture accessories (such as shelving, cabinets and work surfaces) to stationary walls or to the partitions themselves. As these systems evolved, they included arrangements for use with specific utilitarian elements. Such accessories included computer stands, keyboard drawers and the like. Throughout the past several decades, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to increase the scope of functionality of these modular systems. Significant work has also been undertaken with respect to enhancing the systems' aesthetics.
In general, systems as developed over the past several decades can be somewhat characterized as providing a “compendium of parts” for the occupants or users. These parts provide commonality in hanging, supporting and connecting structures, and also provide for interchangeability. Ongoing development of these systems involves not only the previously described functional accessories, but also other considerations for the occupant, such as the use of acoustical materials within partitions.
Although modular systems present an advance in the architectural arts, there are still a number of considerations which are not met by these systems. For example, although these systems are sometimes characterized as “modular,” they do not necessarily lend themselves to rapid reconfiguration. For example, partitions (although described as “movable”) often require a significant amount of work to reconfigure. Any reconfiguration of movable partitions may also involve requirements of additional physical wiring or substantial rewiring. Further, although these systems employ interchangeability of hanging and supporting components, assembly and disassembly of these systems (even beyond the movable partitions) require a substantial amount of work, and usually involve maintenance personnel with particular expertise. Still further, although these systems may involve lighting controllable by the workspace user, most environmental functions remain centrally controlled, often at a location substantially remote from the commercial interior being controlled.
In the past, problems associated with difficulty in reconfiguration of commercial interior, and lack of in situ control of a location's environmental conditions may not have been of primary concern. However, today's business climate often involves relatively “fast changing” commercial interior needs. Commercial interiors may be structurally designed by designers, architects and engineers, and initially laid out in a desired format with respect to building walls, lighting fixtures, switches, data lines and other functional accessories and infrastructure, including those associated with modular systems. However, when these structures, which can be characterized as somewhat “permanent” in most buildings (as described in previous paragraphs herein), are designed, the actual occupants may not move into the building for several years. Designers almost need to “anticipate” the needs of future occupants of the building being designed. Needless to say, in situations where the building will not be commissioned for several years after the design phase, the infrastructure of the building may not be appropriately laid out for the actual occupants. That, is, the prospective tenants' needs may be substantially different from the designers' ideas and concepts. However, as previously described herein, most commercial interiors permit little reconfiguration after completion of the initial design. Reconfiguring a structure for the needs of a particular tenant can be extremely expensive and time consuming. During structural modifications, the commercial interior is essentially “down” and provides no positive cash flow to the buildings' owners.
Essentially, it would be advantageous to always have the occupants' activities and needs “drive” the structure and function of the infrastructure layout. Today, however, many relatively “stationary” (in function and structure) infrastructures essentially operate in reverse. That is, it is not uncommon for prospective tenants to evaluate a building's infrastructure and determine how to “fit” their needs (workspaces, conference rooms, lighting, HVAC, and the like) into the existing infrastructure.
Still further, and again in today's business climate, a prospective occupant may have had an opportunity to be involved in the design of a building's commercial interior, so that the commercial interior is advantageously “set up” for the occupant. However, many business organizations today experience relatively rapid changes in growth, both positively and negatively. When these changes occur, again it may be difficult to appropriately modify the commercial interior so as to permit the occupant to expand beyond its original commercial interior or, alternatively, be reduced in size such that unused space can then be occupied by another tenant.
Other problems also exist with respect to the layout and organization of today's commercial interiors. For example, accessories such as switches and lights may be relatively “set” with regard to locations and particular controlling relationships between such switches and lights. That is, one or more particular switches may control one or more particular lights. To modify these control relationships in most commercial interiors requires significant efforts. In this regard, a commercial interior can be characterized as being “delivered” to original occupants in a particular “initial state.” This initial state is defined by not only the physical locations of functional accessories, but also the control relationships among switches, lights and the like. It would be advantageous to provide means for essentially “changing” the commercial interior in a relatively rapid manner, without requiring physical rewiring or similar activities. In addition, it would also be advantageous to have the capability of modifying physical locations of various functional accessories, without requiring additional electrical wiring, substantial assembly or disassembly of component parts, or the like. Also, and of primary importance, it would be advantageous to provide a commercial interior which permits not only physical relocation or reconfiguration of functional accessories, but also permits and facilitates reconfiguring control among functional accessories. Still further, it would be advantageous if users of a particular commercial interior could effect control relationships among functional accessories and other utilitarian elements at the location of the commercial interior itself.
A significant amount of work is currently being performed in technologies associated with control of what can be characterized as “environmental” systems. The systems may be utilized in commercial and industrial buildings, residential facilities, and other environments. Control functions may vary from relatively conventional thermostat/temperature control to extremely sophisticated systems. Development is also being undertaken in the field of network technologies for controlling environmental systems. References are often currently made to “smart” buildings or rooms having automated functionality. This technology provides for networks controlling a number of separate and independent functions, including temperature, lighting and the like.
In this regard, it would be advantageous for certain functions associated with environmental control to be readily usable by the occupants, without requiring technical expertise or any substantial training. Also, as previously described, it would be advantageous for the capability of initial configuration or reconfiguration of environmental control to occur within the proximity of the controlled and controlling apparatus, rather than at a centralized or other remote location.
A number of systems have been developed which are directed to one or more of the aforedescribed issues. For example, Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,458, issued Dec. 7, 1976, is primarily directed to an illuminated ceiling structure and associated components, with the components being adapted to varying requirements of structure and appearance. Jones et al. disclose the concept that the use of inverted T-bar grids for supporting pluralities of pre-formed integral panels is well known. Jones et al. further disclose the use of T-bar runners having a vertical orientation, with T-bar cross members. The cross members are supported by hangers, in a manner so as to provide an open space or plenum thereabove in which lighting fixtures may be provided. An acrylic horizontal sheet is opaque and light transmitting areas are provided within cells, adding a cube-like configuration. Edges of the acrylic sheet are carried by the horizontal portions of the T-bar runners and cross runners.
Balinski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,531, issued Jul. 12, 1977 is directed to a suspended ceiling system having a particular support arrangement. The support arrangement is disclosed as overcoming a deficiency in prior art systems, whereby exposure to heat causes T-runners to expand and deform, with ceiling tiles thus falling from the T-runners as a result of the deformation.
The Balinski ceiling system employs support wires attached to its supporting structure. The support wires hold inverted-T-runners, which may employ enlarged upper portions for stiffening the runners. An exposed flange provides a decorative surface underneath the T-runners. A particular flange disclosed by Balinski includes a longitudinally extending groove on the underneath portion, so as to create a shadow effect. Ceiling tiles are supported on the inverted-T-runners and may include a cut up portion, so as to enable the bottom surface to be flush with the bottom surface of the exposed flange. The inverted-T-runners are connected to one another through the use of flanges. The flanges provide for one end of one inverted-T-runner to engage a slot in a second T-runner. The inverted-T-runners are connected to the decorative flanges through the use of slots within the tops of the decorative flanges, with the slots having a generally triangular cross-section and with the inverted-T-runner having its bottom cross member comprising opposing ends formed over the exposed flange. In this manner, the inverted-T-runner engages the top of the exposed flange in a supporting configuration.
Balinski also shows the decorative exposed flange as being hollow and comprising a U-shaped member, with opposing ends bent outwardly and upwardly, and then inwardly and outwardly of the extreme end portions. In this manner, engagement is provided by the ends of the inverted-T-runner cross members. A particular feature of the Balinski arrangement is that when the system is subjected to extreme heat, and the decorative trim drops away due to the heat, the inverted-T-configuration separates and helps to hold the ceiling tiles in place. In general, Balinski discloses inverted-T-runners supporting ceiling structures.
Balinski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,391 shows the use of support runners for suspended grid systems. The support runner includes a spline member. An inverted T-runner is engaged with the spline, in a manner so that when the ceiling system is exposed to heat, the inverted T-runner continues to hold the ceiling panels even, although the spline loses structural integrity and may disengage from the trim.
Csenky, U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,092 issued Feb. 14, 1978, discloses a power track system for carrying light fixtures and a light source. The system includes a U-shaped supporting rail, with the limbs of the same being inwardly bent. An insulating lining fits into the rail, and includes at least one current conductor. A grounding member is connected to the ends of the rail limbs, and a second current conductor is mounted on an externally inaccessible portion of the lining that faces inwardly of the rail.
Botty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,190 issued Aug. 6, 1985, describes an electrical power track system having an elongated track with a series of longitudinal slots opening outwardly. The slots provide access to a series of offset electrical conductors or bus bars. The slots are shaped in a manner so as to prevent straight-in access to the conductors carried by the track.
Greenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,226 describes a sound and light track system, with each of the sound or light fixtures being independently mounted for movement on the track. A bus bar assembly includes audio bus bar conductors and power bus bar conductors.